MRI-RAPID: Acquisition of Spectroscopic Instrumentation for Oil Spill Research

PI请求MRI RAPID资助，以获得墨西哥湾石油泄漏工作所需的光谱仪器。该仪器将加强他们正在进行的石油泄漏研究活动和海洋与环境科学的研究生教育。PI从化学海洋学计划中获得了快速资助，以研究深水地平线石油泄漏（2010年4月）对墨西哥湾受影响地区关键微量金属分布的影响。特别令人感兴趣的是与石油有天然地球化学联系的过渡金属V和Ni，所要求的仪器包括两台光腔衰荡光谱仪（CRDS），一台用于测定甲烷，另一台用于测定水的氧和氢同位素组成。CRDS甲烷分析仪是必要的，因为从Macondo井排出的物质中有很大一部分是甲烷。CRDS水同位素分析仪将允许PI利用水的氧和氢同位素作为沿海水体示踪剂。这两种CRDS仪器都足够强大，可以在现场使用。在现场使用它们将允许PI根据获得的分析信息调整其采样策略，并更好地了解墨西哥湾北方的水循环/混合，从而了解石油运输和转化。此外，PI要求提供紫外/可见分光光度计。分光光度计是一个基本的工具，需要确定天然有机物和石油污染的沃茨的光学特性，以量化的命运，运输和石油components.Broader ImpactsThis研究有可能增加我们的理解的直接和间接的地球化学后果的主要石油泄漏对海洋生态系统在世界各地。学生参与是这项工作的一个组成部分，因此研究生教育将得到加强。它还将增加墨西哥湾沿岸地区的合作研究机会。

The PI's request MRI RAPID funding to acquire spectroscopic instrumentation for work on the Gulf oil spill. This instrumentation will augment their on-going oil spill research activities and graduate education in marine and environmental sciences. The PI's have RAPID funding from the Chemical Oceanography program to study the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (April 2010) on the distribution of key trace metals in the impacted region of the Gulf of Mexico. Of particular interest are the transition metals V and Ni which have a natural geochemical association with petroleum.The requested instrumentation includes two cavity ring down spectrometers (CRDS), one for determination of methane and the other for determination of the oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of water. The CRDS methane analyzer is needed because a significant fraction of material discharged from the Macondo well is methane. The CRDS water isotope analyzer will allow the PI's to utilize oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of water as a coastal water mass tracer. Both CRDS instruments are robust enough to be used in the field. Using them in the field will allow the PI's to adjust their sampling strategies based on the analytical information obtained and to better understand water circulation/mixing and thus oil transport and transformation in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In addition, the PI's request a UV/visible spectrophotometer. The spectrophotometer is a basic tool needed for determining the optical properties of natural organic matter and oil-contaminated waters to quantify the fate, transport and transformation of oil components.Broader ImpactsThis research has the potential to increase our understanding of the direct and indirect geochemical consequences of a major oil spill on marine ecosystems throughout the world. Student participation is a component of this work and thus graduate education will be enhanced. It will also enhance collaborative research opportunities in the Gulf Coast region.